Snowshoe or swampshoe



y 11, 1950 D. F. ANDERSON 2,515,070

SNOWSHOE OR SWAMPSHOE Filed April 30, 1949 Jnv'anfor ii ii 422 122fir/011ml? Elia-4: 6 1 g7 Patented July 11, 1950 IT ED STATES QFF2,515,070; snowsnon'on SWAMPSHGE David F. Anderson; Camden;.Maine,assignonto Fiberlashoffl'anada (Ltd); .St. Jerome, vQuebec, Canada, acorporation of. Canada.

Application-Aprilcw, 1949; Serial No." 9!);615

' (cuss-4.5)

7 Claims. 1L

Introduction gi'lliisi-invention relates .to. a snowshoe or, swamps -1The. conventional snowshoe. is. aracket'rlike.

structure. including: a wooden frame and; raw.- hide or leatherstringing. This. structure has. certain disadvantages.-. For. example,it. is heavy. The. stringing. has. to be. treated periodically toprevent itfrom. ageing, Moreover, the article.

not lend. itself. to r mass. production.

. In. the, prior art, attempts. have been. made. to/partiallyovercomethese. disadvantagesby. pro.- viding allrmetal snowshoes, or. snowshoes.with webbingsmf. metahmeshor. wire. While thesedo provide :some of. the.advantages desired, in. gen.- eral thisform. of snowshoe. is heavy.and.more.- oven, does-not .present a. flexible bearing. surface to: thefeet .of the. wearer.

The. applicant. recognizes these problemsand. a-imsto providea-.practica1 solution. for them. by. developing; a. light, sturdm.snowshoe. structure that combines the desiredrfiexible qualities .of theconventionalsnowshoe with the strength; and weatl ieicresistantqualities. of the metallic. type of snowshoe. Further,, thepresent snowshoe structure lends. itself. to. massproduction methods;thus, facilitating. its manufacture in largequantities:

A-pplicantfs development In accordance with theforegoing; the'zpresentinventio'n'consists of' a snowshoe having a metal frame including anouter frame having-the genera-liou'tline f the snowshoe, cross beamsadapted:

twbraoe'the outer frame transversely," and an in"- a side-imme that:rests on thecross beams to form arinforced foot supporting portion.Moulded? and about'themet'al' frame is acove-ringer light moistureimperviouamouldable material to: complete the outline of the-shoe body,and: to provide.- the webbing of? the shoe.

-Mcre' sne'ci'fica'lly ;v the preferred; construction on the snowshoe"acoording'to the. invention com prises or tr metal outer frameoftlightmetal rodontubingi that extends completely about theouter-periphery of theshoe. This metal. outer frame is-formed: in thegeneral outline of: a' conventionalti snowshoe; and is bridgedi acrossby a front beam' member and; a rear beamr member that extenduprfromtheouten frame andtacross the shoe: in. spaced: apart" relationship, so:as to iront'a-nd. rean of the: shoe structure: The. preferred coveringof the shoe comprises a fibrous 2 materialthatiabonded together withaaheat reactive resin: varnish; for example; Fiber'glasi' bond-ed with:Lamina-c5 resin; This covering is; moulded on a suitable form with. themetal frame impositionzso-that theicoveringzandifr-ame members arebonded; together into one homogeneous structure.

In thespreferreol form; ametallrod inner-frame is; positioned centrallybeneath the: shoes cover.- ing and: secured? between the cross: beammeme hers so as tOFf01m..a1 reinforced: foot" supporting. portion. and.the: covering of: the shoe; is moulded. on" the frame so to have: adished contour with downwardly extending flanges about the outer:periphery of: the shoe. These flanges: together. with. the cross; beams:of; the frame which. extend beyond. the; lower" sunfaoe: ot thecovering-provide traction-.members', and slots or: holes are provided!about" the. Outer; periphery; of. the-- shoe" for theattaching: of"rawhide: thongs for additional tracti'onaifi the: shoe is: to be: used:on ioe=orsglaze covered snow;

The: frame and. covering: of: the: shoe. adjacent the front end". isformedso; as to curve upwards similarly. to the conventional snowshoe;and. due tothe multiple= curvature employed. provides greatre'sistancewto hending betweenthe beer and toe:

Detailed descriptionv Having: thus generally described the: nature? ofthe inventiomreference will: benmade to they-ac,- companying: drawings;in which:

Figure 1: is. plan; view' of or preferred. form of: snowshoe accordingto the presentinvention:

Figure 2 is a, side elevation: of the: snowshoe shown in-Figure I.

Figure: 3' is a. section on the line 3-3.-: of Fig-'- ure- P.

Figure 4 is a section on the 1ine44'- of: Fig ure 1.

With particular reference to the drawings; a snowshoe const'ruct'edaccording to the invention includes a metal rod or tubular outerframe II that isformed in the generaloutline of aconventional snowshoe andextends--completely about theouter periphery of the shoe; This outerframe I! is bridged across by a front beam (made up of' a frame memberIZand a wooden filler piece l8) and a rear beam I6, both bridgesextending upwards from and spanning the outer frame LL across. theskins49,110, spaced apart relationship. so as. to form. load transmitting.and. supporting members; adjacent to. the. front. and. rear ofthe. shoe.7

3 The frame member I2 includes downwardly extending end portions I5 thatare connected to the frame II, and a wooden filler piece I8 ispositioned relative to the frame member I2 so that it is supported bythis member beneath the skin I9.

The rear beam comprises of a metal rod I6 that includes downwardlyextending portions 11 that are connected to the frame II. It is alsocontemplated that the composite front beam formed by the frame I2 andthe filler I8 could equally well be provided by a sheet metal structureor tubing formed in the shape of a hollow bridge, the main requisitebeing that the front beam be sufficiently strong to support the mainweight of the wearer and that it is arranged so as to transmit thisweight to the outer periphery of the shoe.

An inner frame 20, preferably made of wire rod is secured between thefront beam and the 1 rearbeam and is formed so that it connects thesetwo beams together and provides a rein forcing for the foot supportingarea of the covering I9.

The covering I9 comprises fibrous glass or other fibrous material,bonded together with a heat reactive resin, for example Fiberglasbondedwith Laminac resin. The covering I9 is'moulded on a suitable formwith the metal frame members in position so that the covering I9 and theouter frame II, together with the front and rear beams and thereinforcing frame are bonded together to form the complete shoe.

The frame II, and the covering I9 adjacent the front end of the shoe areformed so as to curve upwards similarly to a conventional snowshoe andthe covering I9 is moulded on to the frame so as to give the covering I9a dished contour with downwardly extending flanges surrounding the outerperiphery of the shoe.

the surface of the covering I9 so as to provide traction members and inconjunction with the downwardly extending flanges formed completelyabout the shoe, give the shoe a grip equal to that afforded by the openwebbings of the'conventional shoe.

To supply further traction, as may be needed when hard snow or ice isencountered, spaced apart holes 23 are provided along the outer edges ofthe shoe at both sides. These holes 23 extend along the major part ofthe bearing surface of the shoe, and thongs 24 are wound about the frameII through these holes so as to provide additional traction.

The upper surface of the covering I9 of the shoe that is adapted to comebeneath the wearers foot can be roughened if desired by the apjplication of carborundum, sand, or other non- The snowshoe is used as aconventional shoe. The area surrounded by the outer frame II constitutesthe surface of the snowshoe which rests on the snow, muskeg, or swamp.The area surrounded by the inner frame 20 constitutes an foot-supportinportion. This portion is some= what flexible to prevent jarring thefoot. The front portion above the frame piece or beam I8 forms asubstantially non-resilient bearing for the front portion of the foot.The skin can be made very strong when using Fiberglas base bonded with aLamina'c resin; The particular shape of the shoe tends to accentuate itsstrength and a shoe made to this design when supported only at the toeand heel of the shoe, will bear the weight of a man of over 200 poundsweight.

I claim:

. 1. A snowshoe comprising a substantially rigid outer frame, a coveringof resin bonded fibrous glass material moulded on said frame so as tofill the enclosure of said frame and reinforcing cross members connectedto said frame and bonded to said covering material.

2. A snowshoe comprising an outer frame of light metal, a covering offibrous glass material bonded with a heat reactive resin moulded on saidmetal frame so as to fill the enclosure of said frame, and reinforcingcross members connected to said frame and'bonded into attachment withsaid covering material.

3. A snowshoe comprising an outer frame of light metal, reinforcingcross members connected to and extending upwardly fromsaid outer frameto span said outer frame adjacent the front and rear, a covering ofbonded fibrous material moulded on said outer frame andcross members,said covering being shaped to form with the frame a snowshoe structurehaving a dished-up contour with downwardly extending flanges extendingcompletely about the outer periphery of the shoe, said flangesterminatingin a bulbous edge formed by said metal outer frame andopenings in said covering adjacent said front cross member to providefor entrance of the toe portion of the foot, and to accommodate lashingsto attach the shoe 4. A snowshoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein saidcovering is made of fibrous glass material bonded with a heat reactiveresin.

5. A snowshoe comprising an outer frame'of light metal, reinforcingcross members connected to and extending upwardly from said outer frameto span said. outer frame adjacent the front and rear, said front crossmember being constituted by a metal frame'having downwardly extendingend portions that are con,-

nected to said outer frame and a wooden filler member resting on saidmetal frame, said rear cross member being constituted by a metal framehaving downwardly extending end portions con-.,

nected to said outer frame, a covering of fibrousstructure having adished-up contour including downwardly extending flanges extendingcompletely'about the outer periphery of the shoe, said flangesterminating in a bulbous edge formed by said metal outer frame, and cutout portions in said covering constituting openings adjacent said frontcross member to provide'for entrance of the toe portion of the foot, andto accommodate lashings adapted for shoe attachmerit: I i

6. A snowshoe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cross members andU-shaped reinforcing frame project downwardly beneath the covering toconstitute traction members.

7. A snowshoe as claimed in claim 5, including openings along theperipheral edge of the covering adjacent to said metal outer frame andrawhide lashings threaded through said openings and about the frame toprovide traction members.

DAVID F. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Keene Oct. 26,1937

